NATIONAL LAMPOON’S Christmas Vacation’s Clark Griswald loved a fun, old-fashioned Christmas, and a scrawny, dead, over-priced tree with no special meaning from a tree lot was a disgrace to him. If you’re on Team Griswald, a whining family hike in search of the perfect tree isn’t necessary. You won’t have to worry whether it’s too big or just full; you can feel your body from the waist down and choose a cut-your-own or pre-cut tree at Blackjack Christmas Tree Farm in Shelbyville. They’ll loan you a saw and help tie it to your car for free, giving you a post-worthy, painless, old-fashioned holiday experience.
But that perfect tree didn’t grow overnight any more than Blackjack’s place in your favorite Christmas memories.
George and Trudy Hofstetter came to Shelbyville from East Tennessee in 1979 with their toddler, Bryant; older daughter, Heather; and a Christmas tree farm dream. George’s background as a soil conservationist with a degree in ornamental horticulture and landscape design came in handy. They planted 3,000 white pine trees the following year, only to be subjected to a drought. Just 100 survived. But they weren’t defeated or discouraged and planted 3,000 more the next year and continued in the years following. With six to seven years needed for a tree to mature, 1986 was their first season for sales. You might say it was another dry year.
“We only sold two trees,” said Trudy.
Again, the dream was still alive and well.
Trudy said they knew they were just starting and it could take a while to get customers and get the word out, so they weren’t worried. After all, there was no internet or social media to promote sales, only area newspapers. Most customers in the early years drove from Williamson and Rutherford Counties, but local residents soon discovered the tree farm and business grew, and so did the trees.
Bryant grew up with the trees and took over operations following his father’s death in 2017. The trees don’t just grow unattended, waiting for their season as the star in your home for the holidays.
“You got tired of it real quick as a kid, as you can imagine. But it helped develop my work ethic and appreciation of hard work,” Bryant said.
Your perfect tree is a family’s labor of love. Bryant’s sister, Heather; Heather’s children, Brooke and Brennan; Bryant’s fiance’, Anna, and children, Gabrielle, Dani, and Nick, work with him throughout the year.
There’s a small break in the labor from Christmas to March, but planting and fertilizing begin once the freeze threat has faded. The trees are shaped in June. All this to be sure there’s a picture-perfect cut-your-own tree for you.
The pandemic brought people out in numbers for a fresh tree in the same year a supply shortage already existed. Blackjack’s cut-tree inventory was strong enough to meet the demand during that time, but it didn’t leave as many behind for the following season as usual.
Bryant meets the demand for taller trees by supplementing the trees grown on-site with fresh-cut trees. These aren’t the scrawny, dead, over-priced trees with no special meaning, either. These are white pine and Fraser fir trees cut the day before Bryant picks them up in South Carolina, so they’re at their peak for you.
But don’t think you’ll get the first pick of the farm if you’re there early on opening day. There are plenty of great trees to choose from, but Trudy gets to pick her tree before the first tree is sold. It will be decorated with colored lights and treasured ornaments that honor memories of Christmases past. A second tree will be covered with Disney ornaments for the grandchildren.
They know your family celebrations around the tree become your favorite memories. It’s more than a tree to you; you’re more than a tree customer to them.
Trudy said, “For all the hard work we put in throughout the year, we get to see it come to fruition in the smiles of the families and kids having a good time, celebrating Christmas. That makes the sacrifice worth it for us.”
Bryant agrees. “We appreciate and thank all of our customers for letting us be a part of their family and traditions for so many years now.”
